Nyako seeks NJC’s probe of alleged judgment arrest

Former Adamawa State Governor Murtala Nyako has urged the National Judicial Council (NJC) to investigate the alleged arrest of a judgment in his suit challenging his impeachment.

Nyako, in two separate petitions to the commission dated February 13, said verdict in the case was ready only for it to be suspended.

Justice Bilikisu Aliyu of the Federal High Court, Yola, had fixed February 12 for judgment after parties argued and adopted their briefs.

But the verdict was not delivered as scheduled as the court’s Chief Judge, Justice Ibrahim allegedly withdrew the case-file following a petition.

Urging the NJC to urgently investigate the matter, Nyako through his lawyer, Olukoya Ogungbeje, said his client believes there is a bid to frustrate the case.

Nyako was impeached last year shortly after defecting from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to All Progressives Congress (APC).

His deputy, Bala Ngilari, who remained in PDP, was said to have resigned moments before the House impeached Nyako, while the Speaker, Abubakar Fintiri was sworn-in as acting governor.

However, Federal High Court in Abuja declared Ngilari’s purported resignation as unlawful and ordered Fintiri to vacate office as acting governor, following which Ngilari was sworn in as governor.

Nyako had filed a fundamental rights enforcement suit before Justice Aliyu in Yola to contest the propriety of his impeachment after a similar suit in Lagos was struck out.

“Why would Justice Auta not want the reserved judgment delivered contrary to his recent admonition to judges of the court at a workshop that political cases should be dispensed with before elections?” Ogungbeje wrote.

According to Nyako, NJC should unravel why a judgment should be withdrawn based on a petition, wondering what allegations could be so weighty as to suspend a judgment for.